Exploring Possibility Connecting Creativity

North East CDIT Sector

The Creative, Digital and IT (CDIT) sector is one of four smart specialisation sectors included in the North East Local Economic Partnership’s strategic economic plan. This plan sets out to create 100,000 new and better jobs by 2020, focusing on four key areas: passenger vehicle manufacturing, subsea engineering, life science & health, and the CDIT sector.

The strategy recognises the impact that CDIT businesses in the region can have on other sectors, helping them to innovate, reach new audiences, and become more efficient.

Tech Nation’s report on the UK’s Creative, Digital and IT clusters also outlines the scale and opportunity for the sector in the North East. This report focuses on Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland’s digital communities. However, the sector is not limited to the region’s cities.

Creative, Digital and IT businesses span the North East in several urban and rural clusters. This is different from other recognised hubs of CDIT businesses in the UK, such as London, Manchester or Liverpool.

Creative Fuse builds on the highly successful Brighton Fuse project. Brighton Fuse analysed a city centre cluster of CDIT businesses, while Creative Fuse North East will focus on the entire region.

We will study the nuances of the region’s CDIT sector to understand:

What makes our CDIT businesses successful?

How can the sector have a postive impact on the wider business community?

Creative Fuse is different from other research projects. We will work alongside businesses, freelancers and other organisations to apply our findings, driving innovation during the project’s lifespan.